Consumer Complaints and Reviews

Adrian of Tempe, AZ on Nov. 22, 2016

Satisfaction Rating

I've spent over 5000 dollars on Apple. Please don't make the same mistake I did. Apple is good on computers but when it comes to support they transfer you, over and over. At the end they state they don't want to help you. I have bought an iPad, Apple Tv, iPhone, and a macbook. Not to include the 5000 dollars on movies and music. When it comes to the point that everything starts failing, there's no other option but to call. I've asked for a refund because nothing is working and music is missing off my iTunes asking me to purchase again. Apple won't help, and I asked for a manager. At the end they stated they won't take the call because I refused the troubleshooting when the last 4 people I talked to asked me to troubleshoot and they couldn't help. PLEASE THINK TWICE BEFORE PURCHASING APPLE PRODUCTS. IT'S A SCAM. IN THE LONG RUN YOU WILL LOSE...

I purchased a 5S which has wifi calling capabilities but no major carrier supports models under a 6. I spent hours confirming this with my carrier as well as Apple personnel. I had to leave the store due to a family emergency and continued via a customer service chat. The result of the chat was to establish a call with an Apple customer service personnel, who claimed to be only a technician. She told me I was wrong that wifi calling was available but could not provide the name of a single carrier that would support the phone.

Ultimately she transferred me to a "customer service representative" who would take care of me. It sounded like the same person trying to disguise her voice, who would not address the issue of Apple selling a product that is not supported, and she continued on "the customer is wrong" approach until I finally told her that if she worked in an Apple store she would be fired and hung up. She went by the name of Daniella or Daniell. The experience was awful and I would definitely not recommend Apple to anyone at this point.

I bought an iPhone 6s Feb this year. My phone went dead and thinking it was a battery problem, I went to a non-authorised Apple repair shop. To my surprise my phone was under warranty and the repair shop owner told me to send the phone to Apple. Apple upon looking at my phone, said that there is no more warranty as 3rd party has handled the phone. I was told to contact Apple support and since then, it's been 3 week. I am yet to hear from them. I have called so many times and every time I am connected to a new senior officer. I am tired of explaining and was promised to get a response within 3 days, that was the last call. Yet to get any info.

Updated on 11/14/2016: After making me wait for a month, I get a call from a senior officer who promised to get a positive outcome, but ended up saying the same story. No warranty due to third party. This issue was explained from the beginning. Why make me wait for a month for the same report: unit send in with no power issue, current test fail no current flow 0.013A, cannot detect by iTunes, unable to restore, internal check found out battery have been damaged/punctured, confirmed have been replaced battery at third party, missing battery - pull tab, replace with normal transparent tape not eligible for any service. Apple free toll: 1800-803-638 (OPTION NO. 5). Really disappointed as I have been an Apple supporter for more than 20 years, as I still preserve my Macintosh Classic and displayed it in my office. My nephew has been calling me silly for supporting the brand which has no value for the amount of money spent. No more apple for me!! Damn Apple!!

The battery of my Mac book pro is too old: have to change the logic board together with the battery = 800 USD. The fan of my iMac runs at full speed when starting up the computer. Again, have to change the main board. 500 USD... I found on the net that it's just a transistor of 0.2 usd that causes the trouble. Never mind, Apple wants me to change the main board. Every time something goes wrong, have to change the logic board!!! This just not anymore acceptable. I am fed up to feed this brand and the people that decide such obnoxious after-sale processes. This brand feed itself. I am finished with them, will buy a windows based computer. Ciao bello.

I have order my iPhone 2 weeks ago. The order details says the phone should ship in 3-4 weeks. Let's say 1 week for the actual shipment delay. I live in Canada. So, I should expect the phone in 4th or 5th week. However, Apple says “You can expect the phone in 7th to 9th week.” This is quite a lie that they say something on the site and put a long delay in delivering. I had several conversations with Apple in the past and I can promise they have the most arrogant and stupid customer service ever.

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Larosa of Sheffield, Other on Oct. 11, 2016

Satisfaction Rating

I bought my MacBook air in 2014 for 900 at Apple store in Meadowhall. I also bought the AppleCare which I did not know at that time that it only covers hardware issues. Nevertheless I loved my computer until one day it switched off and wouldn't switch on. I took it back to Apple to see if they can solve it. This was Apple store Meadowhall. The tech took my laptop to the back for 30 minutes and came back and told me that there is water in the logic board re it switched off. I was quite surprised that there was water. Anyhow he said I should leave my laptop so that they get full diagnosis what is wrong and he will give me a callback. Today I got a callback, they informed me that with the water damage my laptop is not switching on even with the battery on and therefore need to replace the logic board and flash storage to get it working again. This replacement will cost me 587.

I informed him that I would like to get a second opinion from Knowhow tech. Before I left the store I decided to just charge my laptop and see if it powers on. To my surprise it did. So I called the tech and told him he had misdiagnosed my laptop as he told me it doesn't switch on but it did. He told me that he will re-schedule an appointment for me to come with the laptop in 7 days. I said, "No, surely I shouldn't have to do that as it's your fault that you misdiagnosed." He started to shout at me and I shouted back and left the store. I got to my job. The IT technicians opened the computer and found that the battery had been disconnected from the logic board. They reconnected it and now my computer is fine and didn't have to pay 587. The tech guy said there was no signs of water being in the computer.

I am 100% sure Apple tech lied to get money from me. I am not only disappointed but wanted to tell my story so that someone learns from my mistake of trusting Apple. I will never ever buy AppleCare. People what you fail to realize is that if you buy your Apple products from PC World/Currys and buy their care cover for 9.99 it covers water damage, any hardware damage except loss compared to AppleCare which only covers hardware issues. Knowhow (PC world tech) are very efficient, good and quick not like the rude Apple stuff. I will never for to the Apple store in Meadowhall Sheffield again in life.

I have been a brand loyal, very satisfied consumer for all things Apple for over a decade. I regularly up-purchase my iPhones, iPads and MacBook Pros. I owned a great deal of the stock. I now question my long-standing allegiance to Apple. Customer Service (CS) had gone from a "25" on a scale from 1 (poorest)-10. The Genius Bar no longer offers One-to-One membership and in my area, I can't reserve an appointment typically less than 10 days out. The Workshops are scarce and arranged at inconvenient time slots (if you can even register). The worst is now the remote Apple Tech and CS has gone down to a "3" in my mind. Steve Jobs welcomed and promptly responded to client input! Today, I had to wait for over 35 minutes before the front CS person would elevate me to a Senior Advisor.

I mentioned the issues I have been experiencing in the last several months. Due to this present day, subpar CS, I shared that I will be thinking twice the next time one of my devices needs to be upgraded. His response, "I understand you have to go with whichever company you think is best for your needs"! Wow, unbelievable.

I recently bought a new iPhone 6s from my local iStore; I received great customer service and the process was quick and easy, but ended up coming back after 11 days when my screen was accidentally cracked. The member of staff simply looked at me and said they couldn't help and I was told to go to the nearest Apple store, which was quite far to where I live, and ask them for help, after that he ignored me and walked away. I got home and phoned Apple Support and had to wait 30 minutes before I could talk to someone. The women on the phone said I only had one option but to pay £126.50 because I didn't have AppleCare which was a further £119. She was no use at all and was trying to sell me AppleCare even though I clearly stated I didn't want it.

She then let me speak to her supervisor which made her put me on hold for a further 15 minutes; once again the supervisor tried to sell me AppleCare and even once asked if I wanted to pay by Debit or Visa?? She told me the same thing and asked if I wanted her reference when I presumably go back to Apple to get the screen fixed, she said only Apple could fix it when I mentioned if I could go to a third party. She didn't even know what a "iStore" was.

Money wasted on a device that belonged to a company who refuse to help their customers if the customers are not willing to pay lumps of money after they spent a fortune when buying the product! Thanks a lot Apple for your disgusting service and wasting time you weren't willing to compensate for. This iPhone has only caused trouble from the start and has put me, my friends and family off Apple products.

I have had to have my phones replaced first. The antenna died in the iPhone 5c. Then when I eventually got the iPhone 6- the touch screen stopped responding and I had had it less then, so of course I have to drive to the awful store and they of course were not on time with my appointment. Then several months later the replacement phone they gave me some sensor died and a separate issue, people couldn't hear me in full... So their resolution, after over an hour with tech support I have to go back to the store and yes, they don't have any appointments for days out. I have had enough, but what do they care. They are so big???

There is someone that I used to know who works for a "third-party" customer service technical support for Apple. Well she got into my phone and started sending people texts and wouldn't let me answer my phone because she high jacked it. It is scary to me that people like this works at companies like this. I shouldn't be scared to own an Apple product because someone who dislikes me can break into my phone. This has to be so illegal. - REALLY PISSED.

I had an iCloud scare that ruined a calendar on a device. Low level staff all seem like apes compared to senior staff who seem more like annoyed robots. I waited the half hour trying things on my own and then Dennis guided me. The subject says it all. Educating the lower staff better would make it 4 stars and adding humanism to the mix 5 stars but they got the job done saving me 6 to 8 hours of additional headache. I'm satisfied. Their Achilles Heel is poor lower level staff education. So be ready for that. It overburdens the senior staff, making them less amicable. Mitigating factor: I was given Apple Care at no charge, even though it wasn't a new device and I had no support plan. That could also be the source of Dennis' annoyance. I guess I'll never know. He wasn't very willing to wait for me and in a hurry to end the call, but when it's free and not supposed to be, I can't complain all that much.

My wife broke her handset, the iPhone 6 recently. One drop and she was told it would cost approximately $600 and 10 days with no phone (no loaner offered). So, she wanted to pick up the iPhone 7 that had just arrived in Japan (we are based in Tokyo). I cannot believe the amount of time it takes to ready an old handset to be turned in for credit! It is 5 hours and counting now (this is for 2, though mine is finished now)!

What happened to continue the saga? My wife accidentally deleted the data on the new handset instead of the old one. I know, not a great move. Now the new phone can't access the cloud (doesn't recognize our wifi), and my wife was never able to receive a new Apple ID password (this is when the phone was working). Why does Apple insist on making things go through the cloud? Who does this benefit? So after trying to reinstate the data for over 3 hours, we gave it a rest and hope we can have better luck with the service provider SoftBank who unfortunately seems to have the same level of poor service as Apple.

I imagine going back to an Android phone and getting my new smartphone set up by the provider in about 20 minutes (Apps and all, Apple doesn't transfer your apps)!!! We were told we need to keep the same Apple ID to get credit (for the old phone), but that is the same ID (smartphone email account) we can't access without cloud access. Nice system Apple! Never mind that Applecare in Japan doesn't get you a new phone, it only gives you a discount on the repair bill! Which takes you about 2 years to receive (not kidding. Nice touch SoftBank - why did Apple give you exclusive rights initially to selling the iPhone, I will never know). Sign me, One fed up Apple user - give me an Android any way!

I replaced an iPhone today for an employee. I couldn't add AppleCare through Verizon. I was given the phone # for AppleCare from Verizon. I called AppleCare & found out that purchasing AppleCare in Florida over the phone was illegal in Florida due to some insurance laws specific to Florida. I found the representatives at AppleCare to go completely out of their way to make my purchase as simple as possible. They patiently walked me through the process online. I found AppleCare to provide such a fabulous experience, that I've gone out of my way to write my first review. It is the truth that their patience saved me a 2 hour trip to the busiest mall in my County. My experience with AppleCare was incredible, and as an Apple loyalist, I'm glad their customer service is a pleasure as it follows the purchase of their product. Remember, you have 5 days to add AppleCare to your Apple bought product.

The Tech Support mechanism is the primary post-sales interface that a company has to its customer base. While Apple seems to invest heavily in Tech Support, it is a very difficult job, as the opportunity for dissatisfaction is everywhere in the support life cycle. It is inevitable that some bad experiences are reported to sites like this. Perhaps I am fortunate, but in the 18+ years I have used Apple products and related Tech Support, I have had several opportunities to work with Apple Tech Support, and I have never had a negative experience. On the contrary, Apple representatives had always bent over backwards to ensure that my problem has been solved. I am motivated to post this review because of the overwhelming proportion of negative reviews that are on this site, and with the hope that the report of happy experiences will help viewers have a more well-balanced view of Apple.

Having problems with my Mac (surprise!). Called their tech support and they wanted to look up the issue (surprise!). After previous experiences with this kind of thing, I asked that it be escalated. Waited 20 minutes to their blasted muzak (surprise!), then gave up in disgust. Called to make a complaint. Was disconnected/hung up on. They had taken my number and did not call back (surprise!). In other words, don't buy APPLE.

My experience with the whole APPLECARE Product is a waste of money and time. First of all they sell you AppleCare and they tell you, yep they're give you a new phone. Lie #1 - Nope it's a refurbished phone and when you get it, if it's toward the end of your contract with Applecare, you only get a 30-day guarantee. LOL nice right. #2 - Some of the people working there are complete idiots. I received a new phone, refurbished, sent my old one back. Received another phone, sent that one back, received old phone back, told me it wasn't the right one. Sent back phone again because it's only one I had. Just got another phone and then I decided, "Let wait and see what this idiot do next." Well this is what they did charged my credit card 481.50.

Call the idiots. The lady, Jessica, said, "You have to return the right phone". I told her, "I did" and she said, "No, you didn't". Well it's the only phone I have and she act like she knows everything. I know nothing, so she said, "Then the charge stays". Ok I paid 100 for AppleCare and now I get charged 481.50 also. I'm not done yet this gets better. I had 2 phones for repairs. They sent me another phone, black not gold. Then they said I need to send the black phone in. The one I already put back on my Verizon, then she said the other phone was for that number so back on Verizon again. Switch the phone, go thru all the bull crap again.

Send them back the other phone only to receive my old black phone again. I am so confused. I happen to look at credit card bill and they charged me 481.50 for that phone so now I have 2 charges for 2 phones and I have no idea what's going on. I have a total of 963 charges for IPHONE 5S. Wow, I didn't realize they were worth that right now. So I'm still in limbo. Have no idea what's going on and still awaiting for APPLECARE TO CALL ME.

I updated the iPhone 5 and the phone won't ring anymore or flash the LED. However, the hardware is working perfectly fine. I can change ringer tones and it rings perfectly fine. The LED flashes too. However, when a calls comes in, the phone won't ring after the software update. They say they won't fix it out of warranty even if they created the problem with the software update.

I have a almost new iMac 27. I keep it updated. The other day I went to do some things with "Preview and Photos". It did not work right and I called Crapple support. They had me on the phone for hours and they tried guessing a solution. Try this, try that. I wasted 3 hours on the phone with them and gave up. The next day I tried again. Nothing that solved the problem. I wrote an email to Tim Cook and some woman called me and put me in touch with another "Sr. Tech". Another hour wasted.

Today the lady called me back and told me that other customers have the same problem and that they don't know what to do. Basically, "Tough". I asked her if I could have a refund and she said that they didn't do that. I asked her if they would compensate me for the time that I wasted. They don't do that. I wasted several thousand dollars, and paid extra for Crapple Care. Tough. They really don't care and now I'm stuck with a machine that doesn't work right. Tough. I hope that they go down the tubes. They deserve it.

When I took my six-year-old Apple MacMini to the Apple store August 2014 because it had become unreliable, the rep told me it needed to be replaced. I purchased a new MacMini, into which the tech installed the software from my original computer. When the same problems persisted, I began a two-year journey working with Apple representatives and technicians for hundreds of hours, always achieving only temporary fixes.

Although these problems - as diagnosed by Apple engineers - are the result of an Apple-based defect, it is Apple policy not to replace a defective computer. Rather, Apple provides access to executive reps and techs to take care of each problem. Records with the Apple Executive Offices Temporary will show ‘fixes’ that include hundreds of adjustments to the Preferences settings and five complete reinstallations of the software.

I have asked that Apple replace the hardware and software so that I can start fresh because whatever ‘root defect’ this computer has, the Executive Office engineers and reps cannot find it. Executive Apple representatives have repeatedly told me that I have gone as high in the Apple chain of command that a customer can go. They tell me that no matter how many hours spent to achieve temporary fixes, no matter how many times my computer fails, I have no other recourse than to continue working with Apple technicians each time my computer fails.

This problem has resulted in lost business and extreme stress. My finances and health have been compromised because I have been unable to communicate effectively with my dog sit business clients or my apartment tenants. These problems have continued for two years, and all efforts to reason with Apple about the need to replace my defective computer have failed.

Before 1 month I had one issue with Apple ID as my Apple ID locked without any reason. Every time I was login I got same message that "Your Apple ID locked because of some security reason. Please contact to your Apple Representative". I quickly called to Apple representative then they told me for some verification. I have already done verification 4-5 times then they again and again told me to wait for 24 hrs, sometime 72 hrs. I called them at least 50 to 60 times but always they said that "our engineer team working on that so please wait for four working days", but nothing worked for me. I want to ask Apple Support: is this your support for us? What your engineer team doing? How much time it will take to resolve this? I am very disappointed from your side support. Very bad support from their side. My case ID is: **. Case ID is still open from last 1 month.

I can't believe how bad Apple support is. I've been trying to get a simple refund on an app for 45 minutes now. I've had to lie to the automated service to try and get through to a live person and am still waiting on hold. Why does it have to be so complicated? I'm never using another Apple product again. Forget iTunes and the app store. No wonder the stocks are plummeting - this company was always gimmicky from the start...

Forget about ever again talking to a live person!!! Having a new issue syncing iTunes library to my iPhone. Called support as the nearest store is a state and 45 minutes away. They called but hung up. Called but couldn't understand my numeric entries and said they would call back... never did.

I do a lot like Apple products, innovative, quality, design, user experience... As a customer you pay a premium because you expect good customer service and technical support. Problem is that technical support is so bad. I had an iPhone replaced at Apple Store Brussels after an appointment with an Apple Genius. This person was however not qualified for the job, he had no clue what the problem was (battery, software, hardware...). I had to pay but he didn't give a receipt. Later I spoke to the manager, his name is Ilian. Arrogant, doesn't seem to care about brand reputation, not interested in customer satisfaction.

When all else failed at the Apple Store- Chip the Senior Advisor came to the rescue helping turn a terrible situation with a broken iPhone into a pleasant one. I have been won over by Apple again- thank you for showing their customer service can turn around a faithful customer.

Not for no reason they call me an Apple “Fanboy”. Over the years I have bought almost anything that came from Apple. From the Mac Classic to the iPad Pro, and I am planning to continue. This time I am however a upset with Apple not standing behind their product when clearly there is a lack of quality and they know it. Over a year ago I purchased an iPhone 6 Plus for my son. Without any fault of his, (Otterbox/Screen Protector etc.) the phone started to have the flickering screen issue. On Google I found a whopping 24000 mentions from people that have this problem.

So, today I went to the Apple Store here in Valencia. The sympathetic Genius Lady knew of the problem and told me that she would gladly exchange the phone if it were not out of warranty, as "Apple has not found the culprit and a fix”. She also agreed that in this case the replacement charge is equivalent to the price of a used iPhone 6 and therefore prohibitive. I was told that the phone and problem would be registered in the database and should Apple at some time have a repair or exchange policy for this problem, I would be notified. This however is not a solution for my nagging son, and I find this not acceptable and contrary to a good customer experience. On further investigation, I now even found instructions on YouTube on how to fix this. I am however not inclined to take the iPhone apart! Also sent this to Tim Cook, but unlike during Steve Jobs's reign - no answer.

Apple tech support is the worst. On June 12th my iPhone died and would not charge. During this whole ordeal which is still ongoing, I bought an android phone in the meantime because I need a smartphone for business. When I had plugged my iPhone into my MacBook, I received an error 53 message saying that my phone could not update or something of that sort. I googled "error 53" and instantly found several active articles and lawsuits pertaining to this code. I decided to follow the directions on the Apple support page specifically on the error 53 to get my phone back on. Nothing worked. I proceeded with the directions on the page and contacted Apple support for reimbursements. NONE of the Apple techs knew anything about error 53.

I don't know if the Apple techs were playing stupid but I had to provide the internet link to the error 53 support page to THEIR own website with my first contact with them. After 2 or 3 hours on the phone, one of the techs told me that he was going to process my reimbursement request and we ended the call. I called them the next day because I had a feeling something was not right. I had not received an email or anything confirming that something was done. Apparently I had been lied to because the tech from the next day couldn't find anything on the "case notes" about a reimbursement request or anything of that sort. I became really upset and demanded to speak to the person in charge.

Eventually I was connected to a Senior Advisor name Ben. I told Ben that I had been lied to by Apple techs and asked him to provide me with the terms and conditions or any document pertaining to error 53 and the reimbursement proceedings. Ben said that the information he was saying to me was internal information... How can this type of information be internal only? Ben is claiming that he is doing everything he can do to solve the issue and I really do believe him but I'm so frustrated with Apple. It's July 3rd and my case still isn't solved.

My iPhone 6 plus is less than a week out of warranty and touchscreen became completely unresponsive. Tried to call, couldn't get a human. Tried to go online, but couldn't sign in because they want you to get the numbers from your settings to log in. Went to the store and greeted with an extremely rude person when I told her I simply wanted to ask someone if there was anything to do to fix so it would be worth waiting for a "genius" bar appointment. She said I couldn't even ask a question without an appointment.

So, I went to AT&T and finally got my factory number so that I could log in to online support. They took me through phone "fixes" that are basically the equivalent of restarting and restoring to factory settings. So, I started with a phone that at least had functionality through the home button and I wound up with a $1000 international greeter (a phone that thinks it's new and can't be set up because can't 'swipe to start' and now all it does is cycle through "hello" in like 55 different languages.

Went online chat support again and was basically told there was nothing they could do because the warranty expired 8 days ago and their "fixes" don't work. Of course I was told I could try calling, but since I have an unresponsive phone I'm not sure how she expected me to do that. In general, I feel like there is not a single american company that cares about keeping customers they have only about making new sales. That's a horrible statement on our society and I'm actually embarrassed at how horrible most of the "support" people have been. I am so upset.

I use my phone for work and have one of the hugest deadlines ever this week and they not only could care less, but I feel like they are purposefully wasting my time and making my situation worse.The worst part of all IS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND APPLE "SUPPORT" ACTS LIKE THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS ISSUE EACH TIME I CALL. Really? Because there are thousands and thousands of people in the last 6 months that have posted having this exact issue online!! Horrible.

Ran into so many issues with my Apple account, then was locked out permanently when entering the wrong security questions. Didn't matter that I could verify all the information, Was told to try and call back another day since my account was locked. Most companies have these security practices in place, look how well google handles account lockouts.

Twitter is a free app and shouldn't cause my iTunes account to be locked for any time period. If all my information was verified someone should be able to grant me access to my own account immediately. As of now I'm locked out of my account with no access to the apps I need. Switched sim back to my android phone. Won't look back. All it would take is an email confirmation or any of the other common two factor authentication methods. Apple forces you to call and provides no way to contact otherwise. Stay away from IOS unless you plan on dealing with the hassle. Google play does not lock accounts, it lets you access free accounts without asking for credit card like Apple ID does. It only asks for password when attempting to make a purchase. Android user for 6 years, never having to call Google customer support even once.

My business just made the conversion to iPhone. I have the advanced insurance that features unlimited Tech Support. While some issues are fixed, most representatives use the excuse "I am an Android guy, let me Google it". Every rep I have spoken to has been sarcastic and impatient with any tech issues I have been having. They talk over you and obviously can't wait to go home. You're better off with searching all issues on Google yourself.

I have spent over 60 hours on the phone with Apple, they provide me no chat or email options, trying to get my Apple ID back from an unregistered sign-in. In that time I have been passed around by customer service agents, often they can't find records of my calls. I have been losing money every day since I run my business through my Apple software and devices almost exclusively. I paid for apps I can't use and content I can't access. I don't know what else to do, I've never been treated this poorly by any company in my life.

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